


Strawberry

by loversarcana



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Future Fic, Sickfic, a bit of angst, a singular creepy dude, post college, umi in denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 20:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11088909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loversarcana/pseuds/loversarcana
Summary: Umi and Honoka are both busy with their new jobs, but Umi can always find time for her best friend - only problem is, she's sick. They come to some realizations about their relationship.(Future Fic: one year post-college)





	Strawberry

**Author's Note:**

> Umi and Honoka are both 23!
> 
> This ship doesn't get enough love and I love them :')

Umi rapped her fist against the apartment door, noises punctuated against the uncharacteristic silence greeting her. 

“Honoka! You haven’t answered my calls, do you remember we had plans tonight? Are you home?” Each word against the backdrop of the knocking made Umi’s panicked voice seem almost musical.

Inside, a tuft of orange hair poked out of a pile of blankets on the small couch, the only indication that someone was in the room. The blankets shifted slightly, a groan emerging from the loud interruption.

“Ahh, s-sorry, Umi-chan, I fell asleep… could you let yourself in?”

Umi sighed, bending down and pulling out the spare key from under the potted plant. She was still in her work clothes, khaki slacks and a silk blouse, and she had a knot in her brow that had probably been there for most of the day. The door clicked open, Umi waving the spare key accusingly in front of her as she let herself in. 

“What were you thinki-" 

She stopped, looking around at the apartment. It was even messier than usual, which was a feat for Honoka. There were snack wrappers, open manga books and idol show DvDs scattered across the floor, mixed in with clothes strewn haphazardly across chairs and furniture. It looked a bit _too_ lived in, even for Honoka. The cramped size of the apartment didn’t help matters much.

“I was charging my phone over there, but I didn’t want to get up,” Honoka said, pouting and pointing a wobbly arm across the room. “And then I fell asleep.”

Umi noticed the flush on her friend’s face now. Her eyes, half lidded, made her look like she was drunk, but Umi knew better. She knelt down by the couch and pulled the blankets down slightly, placing the back of her hand against Honoka’s forehead. It was burning hot.

“Honoka, how many hours did you work this week?”

“I dunno… a lot?” Honoka smiled. “I’m glad you’re here, Umi."

Umi’s expression softened, “You could have told me you were feeling too sick to see me.”

“But I wanted to see you! You and Kotori-chan have been so busy with work,” Honoka protested, “I didn’t want to miss the chance!”

“How about I spend the night and take care of you?” Umi smiled. “It’ll be just like our sleepovers in high school. Only with medication and plenty of fluids.”

“Umi, you don’t have to do that!” Honoka attempted, her argument weak as she lay sniffling and wrapped in blankets.

“I insist. But I’ll need to go out for a bit to get some supplies.”

“Hurry then, I’m so lonely already!” Honoka whined, and Umi bopped her on the nose lightly. She rolled over and began the arduous task of reaching for the remote across the coffee table while remaining as much under the blankets as possible. Umi bit her lip to keep from laughing at the sight.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon,” she said.

Umi stood up, walked a few strides across the living room to the front door, and exited the apartment.

\--------

“Idiot Honoka. Never bothering to take care of herself,” Umi muttered as she walked toward the convenience store. It was only a few blocks away, thankfully, so she wouldn’t have to leave her friend alone for too long.

Honoka was spreading herself too far again, Umi knew. She’d opted to major in music, certifying to become a choir instructor and already worked for several of the high schools in the area. She also worked with school idol groups for _free_ , taking out huge portions of time with no payoff. Honoka was so eager to help everybody that she was probably putting in far more hours than she should.

She hadn’t processed just how fast she was walking, and soon enough Umi reached the store. She pulled out a small notebook and pen from her practical leather purse and jotted a few things down.

  * _Chicken Flavored Ramen_
  * _Cold Medicine_
  * _Decongestant Spray_
  * _Orange Juice_
  * _Crackers_
  * _Tissues_
  * _Disposable Thermometers_



She entered the small store with a confident smile, feeling prepared, and set off to collect what she needed. Umi and Honoka lived and worked in the same area of Osaka, so she’d been to this convenience store before. She liked it because it was easy to navigate and had only the necessities. Often when she had to stay long hours at work, she’d pop in here to grab a small coffee before heading home. Programming was soothing for her, and she found sorting through lines of code fascinating and engaging – but by the end of the day, she was quite sleepy. Coffee was not something she had anticipated enjoying, but after a year at her current office, she’d come to appreciate the warm jolt of energy that tea just couldn’t provide.

In fact, thinking about it, she added _Coffee_ to her list, promptly checking it off as she grabbed a shiny brown can of it from the nearby fridge.

Umi continued to shop, wondering what else Honoka might need from here. She knew she’d probably forgotten something, though her list was pretty comprehensive. She licked her lips, feeling them sting a little under her tongue - the air _was_ pretty dry today. Perhaps she’d pick up some chapstick.

Honoka loved strawberry, while Umi preferred peppermint. She paused for a moment, debating, then picked up the tube of strawberry on her way to the cold and flu section. Surely Honoka also struggled with chapped lips on days like today, it wouldn’t seem weird for Umi to buy this for them to share. Would it? 

After making sure everything was checked off, she moved to the shorter of the two checkout lines, surprisingly empty for the after-work rush.

The cashier seemed to be in his early twenties, about her age. He was tall, with messy hair, and he grinned at her in the same way many of the men at work did: far too wide, for just a bit too long.

“Find everything you needed? Looks like you’re taking care of someone tonight,” he teased, scanning each item and putting it into a plastic bag. He was going so _slow,_ Umi thought. She ignored his comment and re-tucked her hair behind her ears, looking anywhere but directly at him.

“I’m jealous,” he continued. “Your boyfriend must be really lucky.”

“It’s not for a… _boyfriend_ ,” Umi stammered, face red as she snapped her card through the reader.

The cashier frowned. “Oh. A girlfriend, then?”

“Best friend,” Umi corrected. “Not that it’s any of your business. Do you always harass your customers like this?” She glared at him coldly. 

“Only the cute ones that always grab coffee after work, but never come to my checkout stand.” 

Umi realized why there hadn’t been a line at his station. She shot him a disgusted look before grabbing her bags and making a beeline for the door.

“Hey, don’t you want your receipt?” He called after her. 

“ _No,”_ She said, whipping through the small door and slamming it shut behind her.

Perhaps she’d look for a different store to stop at from now on. She stamped down the street, willing the heat in her ears and face to go away. She couldn’t place why she felt so angry and uncomfortable. Her mother had always told her she could easily find a boyfriend by now, but between cringe worthy romance movies and interactions like that one, there was no way that was something she’d ever be interested in.

Relationships took up far too much time. Time she could be spending with her precious friends.

She watched the sun sinking steadily below the cityline, her frown deepening with it.

That cashier had thought Honoka was her girlfriend. Ridiculous. Was it so bizarre to spend money and time on someone close to you who needed it?

\---- 

“Umi chan, you’re back! I’m _dying,”_ Honoka cried from the blanket pile, the room showing no indication that she’d moved at all save for the tv. It was blaring some competitive cooking show now, flickering light filling the steadily darkening room.

“Don’t be so dramatic, you’re going to be fine,” Umi said, flipping on a light switch as she closed the door. Honoka hissed and buried her head in the blankets. Umi came to perch next to her on the arm of the small couch, placing the bags on the coffee table. Honoka popped out again while Umi rummaged through the bag, squinting hard as her eyes adjusted to the light.

“Hey, hey, isn’t it funny how bad they are at making Mochi? Even I could do a better job, heh,” Honoka slurred, pointing at the screen. Umi nodded, motioning for Honoka to open her mouth before popping a temporary thermometer into it. She was acting even more delirious than she had been a half hour ago.

“You probably could. Here, hold this in there for a minute, okay?”

Honoka nodded, still watching the show. Her brows furrowed, and she kept her lips pursed delicately around the thermometer. She was so earnest about it, taking care to keep it in just the right position. Umi supposed Honoka was like that with everything she did, and she smiled at the thought. Come to think of it, upon inspection her lips _did_ seem a bit chapped. Not that she was looking. She averted her eyes, away from Honoka’s lips and that strange thought, and surveyed the apartment.

It had been some time since Umi had visited. The walls of Honoka’s apartment were covered with photographs of her with her family, Muse, and friends from college. There were several awards and certifications on the wall, as well as artwork that her students had drawn for her. Some of Kotori’s old design sketches had their own place of honor. The whole place had a cozy, lived in feel, crammed with memories. Umi couldn’t help but smile at the high school graduation picture of Honoka, herself, and Kotori.

“Umiii, ah think iss prob-ly done?” Honoka asked, her tongue unable to cooperate around the thermometer. Umi shook herself from her reverie and took it out.

“38.2 degrees. You’d better call into work to let them know you won’t be there tomorrow.”

“But Umi! My students need me, I really can’t miss a day-“ But Honoka stopped short upon seeing Umi’s face. She wore the same look she’d give Honoka during practice, when she was pushing herself too hard and Umi would force her to take a break.

“Okay…. I guess I’ll call,” Honoka said, resigned.

Umi unplugged Honoka’s phone and gave it to her, then walked around the corner to the kitchen to unpack her purchases. There was a little window into the living room over the sink, so she could still hear Honoka while she got everything ready.

“Hello? Ah, yes, this is Ms. Kousaka. I’m sorry but, there’s no way I’m coming to work tomorrow. It’s a fever. Mhm. Yeah, I’m very sorry, if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you-?”

Umi winced as she set a pot of water on the stove. Honoka was tactless, if Umi was calling out to work she’d never act so casual. But she supposed that was part of her charm. People were drawn to her honesty, her enthusiasm. Her belief that somehow, some way, everything would work out.

The strawberry chapstick was the last thing in the bag, and Umi unwrapped it, a waft of sugary sweet berry wafting up to her. It smelled like Honoka. She applied it to her chapped lips, and the relief was immediate. Sometimes the little purchases were worth it. She pocketed it and brought a glass of water and the cough syrup out to Honoka.

“Ew, cherry flavored? I hate cherry,” she said, screwing up her face in disgust as Umi held the measuring cup up to her lips.

“It was the only kind they had. Just drink it quickly, there’s water here for you to wash it down.”

“Did you buy the kind of ramen I like?”

Umi gave her a half smile. “The more expensive deluxe chicken flavor, yes.”

Honoka nodded, satisfied, and brought an arm out from the blanket. She took the medicine, coughing and grabbing for the water clumsily as soon as it was gone.

“See, all done. Now I’ll make you some ramen.” Umi made to get up but Honoka grabbed onto her shoulder, stopping her.

“Ya know, Umi, you were so close just now, even through my stuffy nose I could smell your perfume!”

“I’m not wearing any perfume, it’s not allowed at my work,” Umi replied patiently, making to remove the hand on her shoulder.

“But you smell like strawberry! I love strawberries!” Honoka said triumphantly, falling back onto the couch and squirming with contentment at her realization.

“C-calm down! It’s just chapstick,” Umi said, cheeks tinted pink. “I g-got it for us to share, since the air was so dry today. I know strawberry is your favorite.”

“You wanted to make me feel more at home,” Honoka observed, smiling up at her. 

“Maybe,” Umi replied. “Here, you can have some too!” She took the chapstick out and tossed it to her, then retreated swiftly to the kitchen. Her heart was beating rather fast, she noticed, but why?

_A girlfriend, then?_

She heard the words of the cashier again and shook her head. That was ridiculous. Honoka would never think of her in that way. 

But did she think of Honoka that way?

Umi removed herself to the kitchen, dumping the uncooked noodles into the now-boiling water. She stirred the ramen absently, turning the heat down as she listened to the cooking show from the living room. Honoka occasionally commented loudly to herself about their poor technique, and Umi couldn’t help but snort. She’d missed this. 

Despite her confusion about this whole mess, one thing she was sure of was that she hadn’t seen her best friend in too long. And it felt nice to be around her.

Once the ramen was finished, Umi brought it over to the coffee table to cool. Honoka’s apartment was so small, it didn’t even have a dining room – but Umi figured Honoka probably wouldn’t want to leave the couch anyway. Umi settled on the floor next to the couch, huddling over her own bowl.

“Too bad Kotori isn’t in town,” Honoka mused. “I wish she could sleep over with us!”

“She’s on a business trip for her fashion company. We could try to call her, but the time difference in America is pretty different – we’d probably miss her,” Umi explained. Honoka sighed. 

“I’m not exactly up for a big hangout anyway. But the medicine is helping!” She said brightly, and she stretched her upper body out of the blankets to demonstrate. “Time to eat!” 

Honoka dove in with the chopsticks to snag a bite of ramen, blew on it, then slurped. Drops of broth went flying, and Umi flinched.

“You’re so messy, Honoka. You should be thankful I’m here to help clean up after you.”

Honoka grinned back at her, cheeks bulging with noodles, which cracked Umi’s disapproving look with a tiny smile. She swallowed the huge bite.

“You’ve always been there to clean up after me,” Honoka said, and Umi bristled, turning away to hide the blush on her face.

“Not always,” she muttered under her breath. Thankfully Honoka was too distracted by the TV program to notice. 

Umi watched her eyes light up as the desserts were being prepared onscreen. The chefs were making a type of chocolate pastry she could have sworn Honoka’s mother used to serve at their shop. Umi bit her lip. She hadn’t talked to Honoka about it in a while, but she knew that there was some tension between her and her mother about their family business.

“Hey, Honoka?”

“Mm?” Honoka mumbled through her food.

“Were your parents… upset ? When you decided not to take over the sweet shop?”

Honoka swallowed her bite, frowning. “I think they were at first. But they understood that I needed to pursue what I was good at, what I loved to do, not just what I knew." 

Umi nodded. “That’s how it was for me as well. I was supposed to work at my family’s Dojo, but… do you remember that woman who came to lecture us about jobs during our third year?”

“Yes, that’s where I learned about the college I wanted to go to for music!”

“Well,” Umi continued, “she said that there weren’t enough women in programming. That it was hard work, but rewarding and stable. And when I took a computer science class in college, I just knew that I was needed more in computer engineering than I was working at the Dojo. My mother understood, but,” she frowned, “my father hasn’t quite come around yet.” 

“He will!” Honoka said, her eyes shining with determination. “You’re fulfilling your dream Umi-chan! And you’re still working on that novel, right?” 

“Of course,” Umi said with a beam. “It’s been hard to work on it since graduation, but I’ve managed to do a little each day. Well, “ she amended, “except for today, because _somebody_ got themselves sick.”

“Eh he he,” Honoka giggled with a shrug. Umi shook her head.

“It’s okay. I like being able to take care of you. It reminds me a bit of coding, honestly, taking a few logical steps to solve a problem." 

“I don’t know anything about code, but I do know about helping people. It’s a lot of work, but it feels good afterward, right?” Honoka asked. Umi nodded, taking her first bite of ramen since had had cooled sufficiently. Honoka looked down at her, realizing where she was for the first time.

“Hey, you don’t have to sit on the floor! I can’t believe I was taking up this whole couch, I didn’t even think about it, I’m so sorry!” Honoka, suddenly panicked, pulled her knees up and curled into a more compact blanket ball on one side of the couch.

“It’s barely made for two people, really, I’m fine sitting here,” Umi replied. But one well-timed pout from Honoka brought a change of heart. “Alright, fine.”

She sat on the couch and leaned sideways against the blankets. They were warm from fever. Umi had a vague thought that she should probably stay away from Honoka to keep healthy for work, but she ignored it. Honoka’s emotional well-being was more important at the moment.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, with the occasional sneeze from Honoka. Umi got up to retrieve the tissues she’d forgotten in the kitchen, and Honoka changed the channel. Umi sat back down and winced at the screen.

“The Notebook? Really, Honoka? You know how much I hate romance movies.”

“Why do you hate romance movies, Umi? They’re so cute! Don’t they make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Or sad and cold when something tragic happens?”

“No,” Umi replied firmly, scowling at the screen. “I don’t understand them. They make me uncomfortable.”

Honoka giggled. “That’s exactly what you said when we were 10. Didn’t you find anyone special in college?”

Umi was taken aback. “Well, not really. I just…” _Wasn’t interested in anyone else besides you,_ filled in her subconscious, but she blinked hard to remove the thought. That was ridiculous, it made no sense. 

“D-did you?” she asked. What was wrong with her tonight?

“Yeah, but nothing really serious,” Honoka said. “But crushes are hard. They hurt a lot, and sometimes they never go away.”

“You had a boyfriend?” Umi gasped. Her hands clasped into fists, jittering. “And you never told me?”

Honoka blushed. “I was too nervous to tell you! He wasn’t very exciting, anyway. I also had a couple of girlfriends, for a while.”

Umi rounded on her. “ _Two girlfriends?”_

“Not at the same time!” Honoka held up her hands defensively.

“Did you tell Kotori?”

Honoka nodded, grimacing. Umi felt cold sinking like a stone in her stomach. She turned away.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She whispered, her shoulders shook with the weight of her words.

“Umi-chan, I-“

“All through college I never felt the same connection I felt with you, Kotori and the rest of Muse. But I found myself missing you the most. I wanted… to protect you. You always needed a voice of reason, a helping hand. And you always knew exactly what to say to make me happy, to make me believe in myself.”

Umi felt tears welling up in her eyes, truths she’d denied to herself for years bubbling to the surface, out of control now that the dam had been broken.

“I think I was jealous of Kotori sometimes, because I thought she was closer to you than I was. I never knew what to make of these feelings, I didn’t understand-“

“Umi, you’re the crush that never went away!” Honoka blurted out before covering her mouth. Umi turned so quickly her neck almost snapped, eyes wide.

“W-what?”

“Kotori knew. She was sworn to secrecy. I’m sorry, I’m sick, I shouldn’t be saying things like this to you,” Honoka looked down miserably, pulling her knees to her chest.

Umi looked down at her lap, face burning, blinking through the tears that were somehow still coming. Had she somehow sensed Honoka’s feelings? Is this why she felt so flustered being around her? She felt awkward about having to reject her, that had to be it.

Except when she thought about herself and Honoka together, like _that,_ like that idiot cashier had thought, it screwed up her insides. It sounded good, and right, and suddenly everything she’d been wanting clicked into place.

“I think… I think I might like you too.”

Honoka looked up. Umi held her face in her hands, feeling the heat radiating from it, her heartbeat in her throat.

She was cut off by a heavy blanketed weight throwing itself on top of her. Honoka’s hands flew to her face, holding it firmly, and she looked down at her best friend.

“Umi-chan! Please stop crying, you’re making me cry!” Honoka’s blue eyes were glassy with tears, a shaky smile breaking her face from ear to ear.

“Honoka, I-“ But she was stopped by Honoka’s lips pressing against hers, warmer and softer than she could have imagined, and all she could feel was an overwhelming wave of relief.

Umi never kissed anyone in school. She felt her inexperience, her hesitation, but Honoka happily took the lead. Honoka went slow as Umi became accustomed to the movements – and she was really, _really_ good. Of course she’d practiced before this, which made Umi a little upset, but when Honoka ran her tongue ran across Umi’s bottom lip, she forgot. Honoka pulled back, smiling at her.

“You taste like strawberries. My favorite!”

“I know,” Umi said, smiling. She ran her hands, shaking with adrenaline, through Honoka’s loose hair. Umi hadn’t noticed that Honoka had knocked her back against the couch. They were laying flat on it now, the blankets falling haphazardly off of Honoka and tangling around her legs. She groaned at the ridiculousness of the scene, how embarrassing it would seem if anyone saw them.

“When I came over, did you know this would happen?” She asked.

“Not in my wildest dreams,” Honoka replied solemnly, which made Umi chuckle. “But I’m happy you’re laughing,” she continued. “It’s the cutest laugh in the world!”

Honoka nestled against Umi’s neck, and her breath hitched. “Ah, Honoka - I’m not sure...”

She pulled back, Umi’s face was beet red, and she was breathing heavily. “I’m not sure… where we go from here.” 

“We don’t have to go anywhere from here tonight.” Honoka said, rolling off Umi and wrapping her arms around her. Even pressed together, their two bodies barely fit lengthwise on the couch. Their feel hung off one end over the arm of the couch, tangled together. “I’m not going to do anything you’re not ready for.”

Umi smiled at her, gratefully, and pulled her close, tucking Honoka’s head under her china and resting her face against Honoka’s hair. It smelled flowery, and predictably, of strawberries. She remembered laying close to Honoka at sleepovers and catching this exact smell all those years back, and how lovely she thought it was.

“We have plenty of time,” she muttered to Honoka, who gave her a squeeze.

Umi supposed, in a way, that Honoka had been right all these years after all. Everything did turn out alright in the end.

\-----

_Next Day_

Honoka’s cell phone buzzed as she took out her latest thermometer reading – her fever had broken. She laid back on the couch and clicked the answer button.

“Umi-chan! Did you forget something here?”

She heard a coughing noise on the line, and Umi’s bleary voice: “I think you got me sick.”

Honoka grinned. “Stay right there, I’ll be over after work.”

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on [tumblr](http://mechagecko.tumblr.com) or [twitter! (message first)](http://twitter.com/mamudoons)


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